Was That the Longest Hour Ever?

Have you ever had a treatment session that seemed to go on… forever?

The other day, I was giving what should have been a straightforward one-hour massage. Nothing unusual on paper. In fact, I often say that an hour can fly by—I’ve had clients joke that I must be sneaking the clock forward because time passes so quickly. But usually, at the end of an appointment, we both feel that lovely sense of wondering where the time has gone.

But not this time.

From the moment the session began, something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it—nothing dramatic, just a subtle drag in the rhythm. I kept glancing at the clock on the wall, expecting to see that 30 minutes had passed, only to find we’d only made it to 20.

At first, I told myself to settle into the flow and stop watching the clock. But the dragging feeling persisted. Eventually, curiosity (and a hint of worry) got the better of me. I did something I would never normally do—I tapped my phone to check the time. And that’s when I got a surprise.

It was much later than I thought.

Turns out, my trusty wall clock—usually so reliable—had been slowly losing time. Its battery must have been winding down without me noticing, and now it was leading us both astray.

I quickly recalibrated, rounded off the session smoothly, and began preparing for the awkward moment when the client would open their eyes and glance at the clock.

Because let’s be honest—if you woke up from a massage and the clock said 10 minutes earlier than your booked finish time, wouldn’t you wonder if your session had been cut short?

So I casually mentioned that my wall clock was running slow, and crossed my fingers that she didn’t feel cheated.

What I’ve learned since

To avoid any more of those “longest hour ever” moments—or the awkward conversations that follow—I’ve now got a backup clock in the room. One battery-operated, one digital. Belt and braces.

It’s such a simple fix, but one I never thought I’d need until that day.

As therapists, we’re so focused on creating the perfect environment for our clients—calm, safe, professional—that even something small like a slow clock can shake our rhythm. It’s a reminder that even the tiny details matter. And sometimes, the lessons we learn aren’t from big mistakes but from those quiet, slightly odd moments that catch us off guard.

A Final Thought

Time is a funny thing in the treatment room. When everything’s flowing, an hour can feel like minutes. But when something’s off—even something small—it can affect the whole session. If you’ve ever had a moment like this, you’re not alone. And if not… maybe give your clock’s battery a little check, just in case.